Further work
aims to identify
how effective
Portobello honey
could be in dealing
with antibiotic
resistant bacteria
such as MRSA
“The trouble with some antibiotics is
that they contain one active ingredient
to which some bacteria can become
resistant. Bacteria can mutate and
therefore survive by overriding the
effectiveness of the antibiotic. The great
thing about honey is that it contains
many different ingredients which could
be antimicrobial. This means it could
offer more ways of successfully fighting
bacteria.”
In simple terms, the honey could be
viewed as an army which has lots of
different strategies for killing the enemy. In
contrast, an antibiotic may have only one
strategy, and if unsuccessful, the bacteria
goes on to live another day.
The honey used in the study came from
beehives kept in Portobello Community
Orchard which is maintained by PEDAL, a
small community organisation. The QMU
study showed that Portobello honey
has specific qualities - it was acidic,
contained hydrogen peroxide and plant
polyphenols, and showed antioxidant
activity - all of which are important in the
killing of bacteria.
Dr Fyfe continued: “Many varieties of
honey exist because honey bees pollinate
plants grown in specific geographical
areas. This is why honey grown in
different parts of the world is unique
in taste, appearance and texture. For
example, Manuka honey is produced by
honey bees which pollinate the Manuka
plant. This results in Manuka honey,
not only having a
unique appearance and
taste, but also having specific
properties which are determined
by the area in which it was produced.
Honey contains polyphenols which are
important at killing bacteria and Manuka
honey is known throughout the world to
possess unique antibacterial properties.
The QMU research found that although
Manuka honey had 10 times more
polyphenols than Portobello honey,
surprisingly, both honeys were equally
as effective at killing the three specified
bacteria in the study.
This suggests that there could be
some highly active polyphenols which
are unique in Portobello honey.
Dr Fyfe concluded: “The fact that it kills
all three different organisms indicates that
Portobello honey could have a universal
antibacterial activity.”
The QMU research team wishes to
further develop this study to establish
if Portobello honey has a unique
polyphenol content. Further work also
aims to identify how effective Portobello
honey could be in dealing with antibiotic
resistant bacteria such as the superbug
MRSA.
Dr Fiona Coutts, Dean of Health
Sciences, said: “This research work has
highlighted an area of untapped potential
for Scotland. There are many aspects of
this work which offer potential benefits
for the future.
If Portobello honey continues to show
positive results it could offer an excellent
economic alternative to importing
expensive honey from the other side of
the world. By harnessing the potential
of a product that would be produced
locally, it could have a positive outcome
for the development of a new local supply
chain. More importantly, it can destroy
specific bacteria associated with wound
infections and therefore has the capacity
to improve patient recovery and impact
on health service spending on wound
infection control.
“This pilot study, which has recently
been published in ‘Phytotherapy
Research’, clearly demonstrates the
relevance of QMU’s research work in
the area of health and rehabilitation
and emphasises our commitment to
improving quality of life.”
The research team is now seeking
funding to investigate whether Portobello
honey and other Scottish honeys have
the ability to inhibit bacteria which are
resistant to antibiotics, for example
MRSA. In addition, they are interested
to establish if local Scottish honey could
be used to treat some hospital acquired
infections.” ❒
QMYOU / Health & Rehabilitation
11